UPDATE 2-Total restarting Texas plant -fire dept
NEW YORK, Aug 12, 2009 (Reuters) – Total SA was restarting units downed by a “power blip” at its 174,000-barrel-per-day Port Arthur, Texas, refinery earlier Wednesday, according to the local fire department chief.
Port Arthur Fire Department Chief Larry Richard said he did not have any details on which units had been affected.
Earlier Wednesday, the company reported in a filing to state regulators that the refinery experienced a plantwide power failure which resulted in emissions.
The emissions event began on Tuesday morning and lasted through Wednesday morning, but the company did not specify the status of the plant operations.
Entergy Texas, which supplies power to the refinery, said the system was not having problems in Port Arthur.
“The problems appear to be on the refinery’s side of the fence,” Entergy spokesman Dave Caplan said.
Valero Energy Corporation and Motiva Enterprises LLC also have refineries located in Port Arthur, Texas. A Valero spokesman said on Wednesday there were no power problems at Valero’s Port Arthur refinery.
A Motiva spokesman said there had been no power problems at the Port Arthur refinery.
(Reporting by Rebekah Kebede and Erwin Seba; Editing by David Gregorio)